Safety-plug lock for gas cocks



J. H. GEoRGE SAFETY PLUG Locx Foncms cocxs Filed July 31, 1923 Patented Oct. 4, 1927.

.JoH-N H. GEORGE, OFPHLADELPIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

\ v SAFETY-PING LooKFo'R'GAs 'doois My vinvention relates vto safety locks fo'r holding gas cock Valive's in closed position to avoid accidental or unautl'iorizl'ed opening.

The main purpose of lm y invention' is l'to support the look Wholly upon the valve niemloer of Vthe ygasc'ock Avs`o that interchange "of the valve members will supply *the `loclrto existing valves not previously so supplied.

-{A further purpose is fto 'free'thei'gas cock v body and liliierom all support for the lock-v A further purpose lis to 'lock against the body of the gas 'cock instead off against the pin inthe valve element.

A further purpose is -to the locking parts.

A further purpose is'to #guide the lock 'iii straight-line movement transverse to the d1- rection of locking strain.

A `further purpose is to spring Ipress the lockso as 'to move radially to locli-'i'igposr tion and to utilize the snap 'of VJche lock as/a check to verify movement to complete the lookin@ position.

Furher purposes will 'appear in the specification and in the claims.

l have preferredto illustrate mv invention in several slightly different forms, selecting forms which are practical, inexpensive and 30 commercially verv desirable and which the saine time well illustrate the principles of the invention. v

Figure `l .is a .perspective slioiviiig 5a gas stove having cocks equipped vvithemyloc'k.

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the cocks seen vin Figure l, lockedto closed position.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of rthe stru@ ture of Figure 2, the valv'e being locked in, closed position. i I

Figures .4 and 5 are sections respectively upon the lines 1-#i and 5 5 ,of Figure 2.

Figure 6 shows a detail in perspective.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the structure of Figure 2, the valve being open.

Figure. 8 is a section taken along the line 8;.8 of Figure 7l Figure 9 is a perspective of a modified form. Figures l() and 11 are broken partly sec'n tional elevations of 'other forms'.V

In the 'drawings similar numerals indicate .like parts.

Describing in illustration and fnfot in limitation and referring to vthe drawings- My gas cock lock is intended Yfor `use in 15 reduce the 'size of i922. v'serial iin. eefs'oa such locationsfas `in Ali'g'gfure f 1 iviliefife a stove e is eqai'pped with separate @especias 't foreachf`oi`-1J l'nii'nilieroffdiife'rent f". Ilia fbge 'The fijo-ay e af iii-e as Cck ser the 'same as an'y'of the commercie-ligas ocks open the market 'at the prese nine, natifig aii inlet 9 "connected -bv thfreiad 110 with Jxile inlet vpipe fand 'a fdiis'charge T1 fof rediicd fidiaiifet'er intended to discharge tvvitlrki" slee-ve I2 sothatariiiaybeiiinj'dtd along gas fas is common Ain allfsific'h bufrne'rs. f

' Betifvee'n the inlet and fthe idf harige flin's lies the `Aiifio'i'f'ablevalve el'enie'iit, 'ivl chgfso fafr as the valve function is 'c'onoerned,i`s-idntica"l Vwithv existing valve plugs vTor fsiich "gas f'cdlrs v movement "of the vfaflve but in which engaginent of the pin With-fthe terminal vvallsfQQ and 121 or a recess s2 in the 'bea-y or the plug limits' the 'opening Vafnd lclos'iai-g movements respectively 'olf the plug. f

thus iaiydescribed 'the plug is ftyipic'ial orthose generally in use With gas stoves;

By my invention inclini; ioki elfeni'ent upon 'the plugfto turri .ivith the and adapted to latch into 'the' recess' vvlien the valve is closed. `This prevents rotation of the plug troni position of closure unless 4the lai-ch is sprung back. I and 'tiiatit iit necessary to provide lany fspcialloek or prio# jection upon the gas cock body for this -lcking 'engagement "the iva-ll 2'() olf 'reess 22 may 'he used for this piti-rioose.y

int-he enibodiii'i'eiit shovv-ii the lock coin:- pr-ises a yoke 23 carying a lock iii the of a projection 24, for latohing` enga'g miit With the Wall 2 0. The yoke is mounted upon the plug t'o tur-n with it and is operated in one directionhy a spring (to ylocking positioii. when pressed inwardly vby f the spring 'it latches vz'ijgaiii'st the Wall 20 and for rls is pressed bythe thumb 'of `'the operator 'until it lies maialiy beyond this iva-ii se inertia plu-g )locking element (yolre) carried lav' it. may tum without engagement er the against the Wall 20. 1 "The elements" Which I ntiliie for latch lli:

are primarily the latch nose or lug itself, a mount for it, a guide for its movement (which may be included in the mount) .and

means for holding the lug in latchi'ng posi' tion and preferably spring pressing it toward this position. The yoke is convenient, whether open at one end or closed at both ends, because its sides assist in the guiding 'function and the lug is carried by the front of the yoke. To support the yoke I provide a transverse pin 25 passing through an opening 26 in the plug which opening is counterbored at 27 (except in the Figure l1 form) to give room for a spring 28 pressing against the shoulder 29 of the counterbore and against the shoulder 30 upon the pin.

The pin, preferably `made rigid `with the yoke, functions `to lock the yoke from turning about the plug, while permitting the yoke to be sprung transversely of the plug. It is held in position with respect to the front 30 of the yoke by any suitable means as by a reduced end riveted in placeas at 31.

The downwardly extending latch projection or lug 24 ispreferably curved toy agree substantially with the contour of the outer surface 32 of the body of the cock so that, when the valve is not closed, the projection rides along the outside of the gas cock surface while' the plug is turned, being pressed against this surface by the spring 28.

- When the plug is turned to closed position,

theV spring snaps the latch into the recess 22 from the edge 33 of the surface of the gas cock body and against the body of the plug. The sound from this snapping home of the latch affords a convenient check as to complete closure of the valve and is noticeably increased by the use of aluminum, for example, as the metal, as comparedL with brass.

Opposite sides of the yoke preferably lit and slide along the plugat 34 to guide the 'latch at the sides as it moves and to support itagainst side strain. I prefer to have this portion vof the plug cylindrical instead of tapered so that the sides of the yoke may `not have to taper at this section.

The yoke structure with the lock carried by it affords a transverse locking plunger in which the side walls of the yoke act to guide the Ymovement of the locking member A, maintaining it from turning upon the pin,

and also improve the appearance of the structure.

` i The yoke is preferably closed ;r i. e., its sides extendvall the way round. The sides are I. inwardly yflanged at to move ,withinA a groove 36 in the plug member to support the yoke against movement axially of the plug. The valve stem is provided with the usual handle 37 and the yoke is conveniently finished by a button 38 mounted upon the pin for a thumb press.

VObviously it makes no difference whether lthe the thumb pressure be exerted against the button 38 or against the yoke or other member serving the guiding and supporting purposefor which the yoke is provided. Where yoke is open at one end as in Figure 9 the Vbutton 38 is of greater utilityV than in rying the handle is preferably made as a sleeve 39 secured to a reduced valve stem 40 in order to conveniently provide the groove 36. The sleeve is fastened to the stem as by pin 41. e

In assemblage the yoke is placed over the stem of the valve and the sleeve 39 is fastened in place upon the stem. The pin 25 is then passed through the spring 28 and the two together are inserted from the left in such a figure as Figure 8. The pin is riveted at 31 in position. The button 38 may have been placed beforevinsertion of the pin 25 or may be put on afterward.

The plug element ywith its assembled latch can readily be sold as a unit to iit existing gas cock bodies, the valve element being substituted for the valve element originally supplied Vwith the` gas cock, this requires but a few moments for substitution and involves no disconnection of pipes and a minimum of trouble and expense. c

. To open the valve the thumb of the user is pressed against the button 38 or against the yoke to overcome the spring pressure and to force the latch out far enough for the valve element to be turned. The valve is then turned.

It will be obvious that the yoke member forms a latch spring pressed transversely toward the plug, riding along the vouter surface of the body except at the position of closure when it snaps to place in the recess and against the plug locking the plug from turning unless and until the latch has been vof the pin may extend only a very little beyond the plug.

In the forms of Figures 10 and 1l the push buttons are omitted and the pin 42 of small diameter surrounded by the spring extends through the plug to opposite outer,

surfaces of the yoke. In Figure l() the plug is counterbored to receive the spring 28. A short sleeve 43 upon the pin fits into the counterbore to provide proper lguide bearing between the yoke member and the plug and4 to suitably compress the spring.

In Figure 11 the spring is placed'outside of the plug, avoiding the need for sleeve and Ysuchv figures as 2 and but it may be wholly counterbore but necessitating a somewhat longer yoke by reason of the length of the spring even when compressed. In this form the inward flange at the top of the yoke has also been omitted, the opposite sides of the yoke member together with the pin serving the Aguiding function. The yoke fits along opposite sides close to the plug. In Figure ll I have also made the latch of size to fit all the'way across the recess, above the usual stoppin shown in the other figures.

In the forms shown I havev preferred to use one side of the usual recess 22 for a stop-catch for the latch. Essentially however this catch is any lateral stop rigid with the body and adapted to cooperate with` thespring latch.

Obviously these forms are all same invention. p

It will be obvious that those skilled in the art will, in view of my disclosure, see various other modifications and changes which Vmay be made in my structure to secure the benefit of all or part of the invention without copying the forms, shown; and it is my purpose to include herein all such as come within the reasonable spirit and scope of my claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to ters Patent is broadly the l. In a gas cock valve, a valve body hav? ing a recess in its upper end, a valve member movable in said body, a pin in the valve member limiting movement of the valve by engagement with a wall of the recess and a fastening device carried by the valve member, comprising a spring pressed pin passing through the valve member and a lock carried by one end of the pin, enclosing the valve element and pressed by the spring toward position for engagement with a wall of the recess, the lockbeing adapted to fill in the space between this wall of the recess and the pin in the closed position of the valve and for thumb engagement to release it.

2. In a gas cock valve, a valve body having a recess in its upper end, a valvemember in said body, a pin in the valve member limiting movement of the valve by engagement secure by Let-l 3. In a gas cock valve, a valve body having a recess in its upper end, a valve member movable kin said body, a pin in the yvalve member limiting movement of the valve by engagement with the walls of the recess and ing a pin passing-through the valve stem a fasteningl device carried by the valve mem` ber, comprising a movable pin, passing through the valve stem and spring pressed y a yokev carried bythe pin, enl rearwardly, closing the valve element and guided at its sides by the stem and a lock upon the yoke engaging in one position with a wall of the recess and with the pin in the valvel member.

4. In a gas cock valve, a valve body` hav ing la recess in its upper end, a valve member movable in said body, a pin in the valve member limiting movement of the valve by engagement with the walls of the recess a fastening device carried by thevalve member, comprising a spring pressed pin mov-y able transversely with respect to the valve stem, a yoke upon the pin, enclosing the valve element and guided at its sides by the stem, a lock upon the yoke to occupy the space in said recess exclusive of the pin upon the valve member and flanges upon the yoke passing within a guided by the walls of the groove.

` 5. In a gas cock lock, a gas cock body having a lateral abutment, a valve member lying within the body and having stop pin engagement with the body to limit its movement and a-transversely movable lock carried by the valve member, guided by it against rocking and axial movements,

springpressed and engaging the labutment and stop pin in one position.

JOHN H. GEoRGE.

and y groove in the stem and 

